The independent newspaper of Washington University in St. Louis since 1878 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2023
VOLUME 145, NO. 7
WWW.STUDLIFE.COM
FIRE IN U CITY
STILL UNDEFEATED
Burning apartment on Clemens forces students out of residence (News, pg 3)
#2 women’s soccer tops NYU, heads into high-stakes weekend. (Sports, pg 6)
Pro-Israel rally held on Mudd Field and pro-Palestine protest is postponed: Recapping student organizing on Oct. 13
ART MART
Armour and Sam Fox collab showcases student vendors (Scene, pg 4)
SU Senate discusses free speech after backlash from statement on Israel-Hamas conflict ALIANA MEDIRATTA JUNIOR NEWS EDITOR
JAMIE NICHOLSON | STUDENT LIFE
Students gather on the Mudd Field and wave Israeli flags at a rally on Friday morning.
NINA GIRALDO JAMES ELLINGHAUS SENIOR NEWS EDITORS
Two rallies on Washington University’s Mudd Field were scheduled for Friday morning in response to the latest IsraelHamas war: One to show support for Israel, and another to protest the Israeli government’s blockade of food, water, and electricity in Gaza. Hours before the scheduled times, the rally supporting Palestinian citizens was canceled due to organizers’ concerns for the safety of the protestors, leaving only the pro-Israel rally to gather on Mudd Field as planned.
Recap of the Pro-Israel Rally
Members of the University community gathered to show their support for Israel, pray for Israeli citizens and soldiers, and condemn antisemitism on Mudd Field at 9:45 a.m., Oct. 13. Roughly 100 students, professors, administrators, and staff members attended the rally, many of whom wore blue and white and carried Israeli flags. The event was organized by student leaders from the Jewish Student Association (JSA) and the WashU Israel Public Affairs Committee (WIPAC), but was
not affiliated with any particular student group due to the range of beliefs that exist within each organization, according to junior and JSA President Sonya Kest. The rally began with everyone singing the American and Israeli national anthems, followed by prayers for soldiers in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and Israeli hostages taken by Hamas. Kest said in a speech to the rally that Hamas exists to destroy the Jewish nation of Israel, and that support for Hamas is antisemitism masquerading as anti-Zionism. “There is zero moral equivalence between a Jewish nation, who dreams of peace with her neighbor, and Hamas, the evil terrorist regime hell-bent on destroying Israel, even at the price of its own citizens,” Kest said. Kest said she organized the rally to demonstrate support for Israel and provide a space for Jewish people to feel proud. “What’s going on with the Palestinians in Gaza who are under a terrorist regime is unfortunate, but it doesn’t mean that Israel doesn’t have the right to defend itself against terrorism,” Kest said. Junior Rayna Auerbach, Co-President of WIPAC, spoke to the pro-Israel crowd about the important role that Israel has
played in her life. She said that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East and a defender of women’s and LGBTQ+ rights. She added that she feels not only safe, but also celebrated for her identities in Israel. After the speeches, the attendees broke out into song and dance to end the rally on an optimistic note. Following the event, a source, who chose to remain anonymous for safety concerns and will be referred to as X, said to Student Life that they decided to come to the rally because of their family’s history of experiencing and resisting antisemitism. “My grandma is a Holocaust survivor, so it’s always been embedded in my family to support the Jewish people and their history, like being here and making sure that something like that doesn’t happen again,” X said. Like others at the rally, junior Zev Kupferman has close family and friends in Israel. He said he feels helpless being so far away. “It’s really hard to walk around campus right now and see everyone going about their productive, normal day — and me not being able to work,” Kupferman said. “It’s just tearing at me to see everyone so normal, and my whole
world is on fire.” Kupferman said that he had originally not planned to come to the rally because he believed it was not productive to uniting the community. He offered a message of unity and support the night before at the vigil for Israelis killed by Hamas. “Why provoke?” Kupferman said. “Right now, we just need to spread love and unity. But I think [the pro-Israel rally] ended up doing that.” He said that he decided to come to the rally after hearing of a proPalestine event happening at the same time on Mudd Field.
Intentions behind the delayed Pro-Palestine Protest Until early Friday morning, a pro-Palestine protest was planned to take place on Mudd Field at 10 a.m., fifteen minutes after the proIsrael rally began. The idea for the protest began as an off-campus effort organized by Muslim student leaders at multiple St. Louis universities. First-year Hadia Khatri said that the event was going to peacefully protest the Israeli blockade on food, water, and electricity going to Gazan civilians, of which approximately half are children.
SEE RALLY, PAGE 2
Professor of Genomics claims he was fired over post about Israel-Hamas war
VIA POOLOS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
A Washington University Professor of Genomics, Dr. Seth Crosby, claims to have lost his job over a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, calling the latest IsraelHamas war a “much needed cleansing.” On Friday, Crosby responded to a post by E. Michael Jones, a traditionalist Catholic writer and founder of Culture Wars, which is classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center and Anti-Defamation League. In his post, Jones said “Israel is engaged in the ethnic cleansing of
Palestinians.” Crosby replied that it was “much-needed” and that “Israel is not targeting humans.” In a separate post, he said he believed that “rabid animals should be put down.” After people began to react to his statements online, Crosby said in a subsequent post on X that his initial post was in reference to Hamas, the terrorist militant group that initially launched attacks on Israel. “Israel is not targeting the Palestinian people. Israel is targeting HAMAS. Israel has just asked the Palestinian people to move out of the way,” he wrote. On Saturday, Crosby said he had lost his job over his posts, and by
Sunday, his X account was deleted. Julie Flory, Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications, said that “Professor Crosby is currently employed by Washington University,” but that “The opinions he has expressed as an individual do not represent the university’s position.” When asked if there were plans to terminate Crosby given his allegations of being fired, Flory said that she was not able to provide further information. “We are following up as appropriate, according to our policies and processes,” Flory said in a statement to Student Life. Crosby’s LinkedIn profile says he
has been the Director of Research Collaborations and professor of genetics at Washington University School of Medicine’s McDonnell Genome Institute (MGI) since November of 2017. At the time of publication, MGI’s website still had Crosby’s name and titles, but his picture and biographical information were gone. Student Life reached out to Crosby for comment, who responded with a screenshot of his posted apology: “I’m so very sorry for the anger I have caused by my clumsy words,” Crosby wrote. “I did not intend to imply that the deaths of the Palestinian people was in any way acceptable.”
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Washington University Student Union (SU) Senate talked about how to balance freedom of speech, student protection, and transparency in reference to the recent Israel-Hamas war and backlash towards an SU Executive Board statement on the subject, during their weekly meeting on Oct. 17. The conversation comes in the wake of a recent statement from the SU Executive Board about the Israel-Hamas conflict that led to anger from students before one of the slides of the post was deleted and comments were disabled. SU issued an apology for their words in an Instagram Story but did not externally acknowledge that part of the statement had been removed. The meeting began with an open discussion where senators talked about the ongoing conflict and ways in which their branch of SU could respond. They discussed promoting mental health resources and potentially releasing their own statement about the conflict, though many senators expressed reluctance to do so. Sophomore Ashton Lee said that since nobody in Senate is an expert on the Israel-Hamas war, he didn’t think releasing an additional statement would be beneficial. Instead, Lee suggested that it might be beneficial to instead talk with impacted students. “I think when you’re dealing with groups who are most impacted, [they] might feel left out by us making a broad statement on the post,” Lee said. “I feel like if we were meeting those groups, even if we can’t answer all their questions or give solutions, we could just know they’re hurt and they know that we see them.” The discussion then shifted towards talking about a resolution presented by Senate leadership that would prevent SU from deleting or archiving posts put on their social media, and would also ban the disabling of the comments on a post. The resolution was slated to be discussed during the meeting and voted on at a later date. Senate Diversity and Inclusion Chair and sophomore Sonal Churiwal said that there were transparency concerns from the Senate leadership that led to the creation of the resolution. “Because the initial exec post was only out for a day, not everyone had the chance to see it and that just brings up a concern of transparency,” Churiwal said. “That’s what the resolution outlines, that anything that’s put up on Instagram cannot be archived and any comments that are criticizing SU cannot be taken down.”
Read the rest online:
NEWS
2 STUDENT LIFE
AVI HOLZMAN | MANAGING NEWS EDITOR | NEWS@STUDLIFE.COM
THURSDAY, OCT 19, 2023
More than 800 students gather at vigil to remember lives lost in Israel ALIANA MEDIRATTA AVI HOLZMAN JUNIOR NEWS EDITOR MANAGING NEWS EDITOR
Roughly 800 Washington University students and community members gathered for a candlelight vigil organized by multiple Jewish student organizations to honor those who lost their lives in the latest IsraelHamas War over the past week, Oct. 12. The audience included students from a variety of backgrounds, although most were Jewish, who came to express support and care for each other, as well as the nearly 1,300 people in Israel who have been killed in the attacks. It was the largest gathering in response to current events on-campus this year. Junior Elliana Makovsky, Social Chair for the Jewish Student Association, began by talking about the impact that hearing about the loss of life over the past week has had on her. “The past few days, I’ve been sitting in classes feeling so guilty. Why do I get to go about my normal day when my closest friends and family are fighting on the frontlines
of this war?” Makovsky said. She went on to say that she believes the nation of Israel will survive no matter what, but that whatever the end result is, it will not be a victory. “There have been devastating losses on both sides of this war,” Makovsky said. “No matter what the outcome is, there will be no celebration.” Makovsky ended by saying that she is proud of her loved ones in Israel. “I am so incredibly proud of my friends and family who are over there, whose lives will never be the same after all of this,” Makovsky said. Junior Zev Kupferman spoke about turning on his phone on Saturday, Oct. 7 after Simchat Torah, a Jewish celebratory holiday, to confirm the whereabouts of his close friends who are serving in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), as well as his twin sister. “It’s a scary time, but [my friends’] messages are so powerful,” Kupferman said. “They are strong, confident, and truly inspiring, and they are doing whatever is needed to ensure the safety and security of the Jewish people, the state of Israel, and all of
her inhabitants.” He asked the audience to take lessons from his loved ones in Israel to stand together and check in on their Jewish friends. “We will gather our energy, push all of our college deadlines and assignments aside for the next hour, and sing and talk and share and pray and unify and build each other up — because we are strong, and this is how we’ve stayed strong throughout history,” Kupferman said. Eden Yair, the Jewish Agency for Israel fellow at WashU Chabad, FaceTimed into the event. “It’s hard to believe — the brain cannot conceive of it,” Yair said. “Every day that passes, the number increases. It’s not 700 anymore, it’s 900. It’s not 900 anymore, it’s 1,200 people.” She asked people in the audience to think about their loved ones, and to imagine what it would be like if one day, they were just gone forever. “When people ask how I am, I say, ‘I am as my people are,’” Yair said. “We can’t let the terror win.” After she spoke, students led the audience in singing Oseh Shalom, a traditional
RALLY from page 1 Another student, who chose to remain anonymous for safety concerns and will be referred to as Z, said that the organizers had planned for the events to briefly overlap to show that differing perspectives could coexist. Khatri echoed this sentiment and said she hoped that the protest would show the presence of Palestinian students on campus. “The way the conflict has been addressed has been very one-sided,” Khatri said. “[The pro-Palestine protest organizers] wanted WashU students to see that we have a voice too.” Z said the protest was postponed after much deliberation amongst the organizers. “[The protest’s organizers] came to a consensus at 2:00 a.m. [to reschedule the protest],” Z said. “It was a horrible night, and our hearts were super heavy doing this because this is not something we
need to be quiet about.” According to Z, the protest was delayed because of the harassment and threats of violence directed at Muslim and proPalestine students at several universities, including Washington University. Khatri said that many students were afraid to be involved because of potential repercussions, pointing to the recent backlash faced by students on other college campuses for expressing pro-Palestinian support. Both Z and Khatri described how several Muslim students they knew had been doxxed or harassed in the last few days, and many fear being blacklisted by Canary Mission, the site that publicly identifies and profiles any individual determined to “promote hatred of the U.S., Israel and Jews on North American college campuses and beyond.” “That’s why we’re being so careful about this, and so careful about this protest
and trying to follow every single rule on this campus [to ensure the protest is totally peaceful],” Z said. Multiple students at the pro-Israel rally stated that what is going on with Palestinians in Gaza does not mean that Israel doesn’t have the right to defend itself against terrorism. In response, Khatri said that Gazans have lived in the conditions of an “open-air prison” and did not choose to be ruled by Hamas. “There’s a difference between defending yourself against terrorism and completely banning food, water, and electricity from an entire ethnicity,” Khatri said. “It’s not a war if you can cut off [these resources] from the people you’re fighting against.” Editor’s Note: Hadia Khatri is a contributing writer for Student Life but had no influence on the reporting, writing, or editing of this article.
Jewish song about God creating peace. Eli Snir, a professor of data analytics who grew up in Israel, asked students at the vigil to use their voice, be active on social media, and offer help to friends. Snir also presented students with his answer to the question “Why is there a siege on Gaza?” “There are 150 hostages [in Gaza],” Snir said. He acknowledged that the more than 2 million people in Gaza no longer have access to food or electricity, but re-emphasized the number of Israeli hostages, which includes women and children. “There will be a siege on Gaza until 150 hostages are released,” Snir said. Sophie Barnett read a statement on behalf of Snir Dagon, who is currently serving as a commander in the IDF. “I haven’t gone to sleep in a week,” he wrote. “Israel changed forever, the entire Middle East changed forever.” Dagon wrote that, although the horror of the events are just starting to truly set in, he finds strength in unity. “This is the real Israel — we might argue, shout, yell at
each other, but we have each other’s backs,” he said. Talia Wolkowitz and Danielle Serota, students at WashU’s law school and medical school respectively, talked about their experiences serving as lone soldiers in the IDF from 2015-2018. Wolkowitz said that the WashU community is stronger together. “I really feel the love and the light from the WashU community,” Wolkowitz said. Serota talked about her friend Idan who was killed at the music festival in Re’im. “In the toughest of times, he had a beautiful smile on his face,” Serota said. “He went [to the music festival] to do what he loved most, dance, celebrate, and radiate joy.” She went on to say that Idan was laid to rest at the sea, which he always loved, and encouraged audience members to live the way he did. “Lift your heads up. Find a reason to smile,” Serota said. Senior Dylan Levy talked about the emotional turmoil he has experienced while worrying about loved ones. “Each day, I wake up numb to the soaring deaths, numb to the calls from family
members,” Levy said. “My WhatsApp dings every second with updates on the bombings.” In the past week, Levy said he has been afraid for his life because he is Jewish and Israeli. “I flinch at the creaking floorboards thinking someone has broken into my home,” Levy said. “But I feel guilty for feeling this way. I ask myself, ‘How do I, someone who has never experienced this madness, have the right to fear my life from the comfort of the United States?’” The Jewish a capella group Staam performed “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav,” a song about Jerusalem being a city of splendor. Junior Aaron Cohen, a member of the group, said that the vigil was a great showing of unity in the face of tragedy. “It was a big crowd, [and] the tone was somber, [but we] had the heft of Israel behind us,” Cohen said. First-year Emily Seligson said she had an emotional reaction to the vigil and the events taking place in Israel. “[I’ve] gone through the range of every emotion in the last couple days,” she said.
SU statement on Israel-Hamas war sparks online controversy
AVI HOLZMAN ALIANA MEDIRATTA
MANAGING NEWS EDITOR JUNIOR NEWS EDITOR
Washington University’s Student Union (SU) released a statement about the latest war between Israel and Hamas, encouraging impacted students to seek the mental-health resources on campus if needed, leading to backlash from students online, Oct. 12. The statement was released an hour before an on-campus vigil organized by Jewish student groups. By the following morning, the statement gained over a hundred comments. Later that night, Student Union removed a slide from its post that discussed the violence taking place in Israel and Gaza, and issued an apology via its Instagram Story. The apology did not acknowledge that any parts of the original statement were altered or deleted. The following morning, the comment
section of the post was disabled. A statement from the SU signatories to Student Life said that the post was redacted because of “the harm it had caused our fellow students.” It also explained that comments on the post were disabled since they shifted from being “a critique of Student Union to verbal attacks on other students.” The original statement was signed by every member of the Executive Board and each head of the legislative bodies except Speaker of Treasury Sadie Karp. The members of the Executive Board and heads of legislative bodies who signed include President Emily Chen, Vice President of Engagement Hussein Amuri, Vice President of Finance Mishka Narasimhan, Vice President of Programming Abby Sode, Executive Vice President Andrew de las Alas, and Speaker of the Senate Erin Ritter.
Student Life reached out to Karp, who declined to provide a comment on why she did not sign. Before being deleted, the second slide of the post read: “We know that the past few days have been emotional and stressful for you and your families. We grieve the loss of life as a result of violence and condemn the human rights violations by Hamas and the Israeli government. To all the students who have been personally affected, we want you to know that we, as your elected student representatives, are here for you and actively working to secure the resources needed to help you heal, advocate, and grow.” The other parts of the statement, which were not deleted, state that Student Union is in contact with Washington University departments and academic schools to share student
SEE SU, PAGE 3
THURSDAY, OCT 19, 2023
PhD/MD Student receives prestigious fellowship at NIH
Late-night fire forces students, U City residents out of apartment building AVI HOLZMAN CLARA RICHARDS MANAGING NEWS EDITOR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
At around 9:15 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14, a fire broke out on the first floor of an apartment building at 6230 Clemens Avenue. The building, which is two blocks north of the Delmar Loop, contained both Washington University undergraduate and graduate students. These students were forced to flee their building, grabbing things as they went, including their passport, their wallet, and for second year graduate student Girish Kumar, his laptop, “because [my professors] wouldn’t give me extensions for assignments.” “Laptop first, me second, [roommate Ram Singh] third,” Kumar said. The fire began on the first floor of the three-story, tenunit brick building, home to
STUDENT LIFE 3
AVI HOLZMAN | MANAGING NEWS EDITOR | NEWS@STUDLIFE.COM
over a dozen tenants. More than 10 firefighters were present at the scene, with both Washington University Police Department (WUPD) and the University City Police Department officers providing support. There were no fatalities on-site, although multiple ambulances reported to the University City address. Kumar heard fire alarms and initially thought it was just a car beeping while backing up. He knocked on the door of the apartment where the fire was located to try to wake up the tenant before exiting the building himself. Pahenyo Gaotlhobogwe, a first-year graduate student, was studying when the alarm went off. She rushed out of her apartment and came down in her bathrobe. “I could tell there was smoke in my apartment,” she said. “It was really bad.” Multiple residents of the building confirmed that
NEEL KULKARNI STAFF WRITER
the apartment on fire was occupied at the time that the alarm went off. The unit was occupied by a resident who had lived there for 25 years; she emerged “looking in distress,” said senior Stella Anderson. “I didn’t think this [was] for real, this became much scarier when I realized this was real and she [the tenant] was in the apartment,” Anderson said. Sources reported that the first responders got the resident out of the building and into an ambulance. Inspectors checked the gas gauges on the side of the building to confirm that the fire was not caused by a gas leak. Washington University police declined to comment on-site because the scene was still active as they constructed their report, and they have not provided comment at the time of this article’s publication.
Graduate student Elizabeth Tilden was awarded a prestigious fellowship at the National Institute on Aging, a part of the National Institute of Health (NIH), for her research investigating how aging and sleep affect cognitive ability. Tilden began her journey into medical research during her senior year at Brandeis University. She was always interested in neuroscience research and the brain’s plasticity. While completing her undergraduate degree, she did research related to sleep’s effect on brain development. She was specifically looking into how aging affects the plasticity and learning that certain intracellular signals promote during sleep. “When I was first diving into research, [neuroscience] was sort of the world that I just ended up in. One of the projects that I worked on as an undergrad was
tangentially related to how sleep particularly can sort of facilitate these plasticity processes,” Tilden said. Tilden’s passion for the subject led her to research in professor Yao Chen’s lab, where she specialized in understanding brain chemicals and their effects on various processes, where they conducted research focusing on intracellular signals during sleep. “My project is focusing on how signaling changes inside the cell while [someone is] sleeping, and how that might sort of facilitate this prolearning effect that we have when we sleep,” she said. The F30 fellowship, awarded by the NIH, will provide critical funding to support Tilden’s ongoing research while contributing to her development as a physician-scientist. It will also enable her to apply her findings to improve the quality of life for individuals experiencing cognitive decline in the normal aging
process. “You’re not only selling your research to the NIH as something that’s worth funding, but you’re also sort of asking the NIH to help you with your development as, in this case, a physicianscientist,” Tilden said. Tilden’s work could have profound implications for human health. Sleep, a fundamental process, has far-reaching effects on various aspects of well-being, impacting almost every chronic disease, including brain disorders. Understanding the role of sleep in learning and memory, especially in the context of aging, could lead to targeted therapies for cognitive decline in the elderly and neurodegenerative diseases. “If we can figure out how sleep is gating this,” Tilden said, “we can use that to create targeted therapies to help increase people’s quality of life as they age.”
over the statement. “Equating the Israeli government to a terrorist group is one of the most tonedeaf statements I’ve ever heard,” read one comment that received 22 likes. “This is incredibly disappointing,” read another, which received 29 likes. Washington University alum and former SU member Daniel Fishman posted, “Your statement is the equivalent of writing All Lives Matter after the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. A damn shame.” Pro-Palestinian Instagram accounts weighed in on the debate, calling for factual accuracy and urging other
commenters to “make sure you have your facts straight.” The SU statement ended with an apology for “exacerbat[ing] tension” and doubled down on SU’s “commitment to advocating for academic leniency and providing resources for students, which remain available on our post and website.”
SU from page 2
AVI HOLZMAN | STUDENT LIFE
University City firefighters respond to the fire on Clemens Avenue as tenants gather outside.
concerns, as well as offer mental health resources for students. Through their comments students in support of Israel as well as students in support of Palestine expressed an angered tone towards SU’s statement. Chabad Director Rabbi Hershey Novack said that the statement showed “a failure of education and lack of empathy,” from SU. He also expects that students will “hold their elected officials accountable,” and take the lead on issuing a response. Before comments were disabled, students expressed a range of emotions mostly centered around frustration
T H E
Editor’s Note: Hussein Amuri is a managing editor for Student Life but had no influence on the reporting, writing, or editing of this article.
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THURSDAY, OCT 19, 2023
First-ever “Art Mart” attracts hundreds of students at WU ALIZA LUBITZ STAFF WRITER
Washington University student groups, Armour Magazine and Sam Fox Art Council, collaborated to host their first-ever pop-up “Art Mart” — a flea-marketstyle event in which about 30 WashU student vendors showcased and sold their creations and used goods, Friday, Oct. 13. After a week marked by mourning and heightened social tension due to global conflicts, a total of 400 students gathered at the Art Mart in celebration of creativity on campus. The students perused the market stands and chatted in small circles beneath overcast skies on Mudd Field. A wide array of items
was displayed and available to them for purchase, including handmade beaded accessories, crocheted stuffed animals, landscape photography prints, and wheel-thrown ceramics. At the front of the market, students distributed complimentary copies of Armour Magazine’s newly-released Homonyms edition. By the end of the first hour, items were sold out. The resounding success of the market can be largely attributed to the efforts of its three organizers: Art Council President Sophie Floyd, Armour Co-Director of Events Sophia Palitti, and Armour Co-Web Director Bri Lee. In a conversation prior to Art Mart’s opening, they discussed the market’s purpose and how it seeks to remedy specific challenges
student artists face on campus. Floyd, a Sam Fox student, said that some student artists aspire to professionally sell their work, but lack access to a platform to do so. Palitti, also a Sam Fox student, said she has observed that the work and contributions of students in the art school often go unnoticed, are overlooked, or are taken less seriously than those of non-artists. The three organizers hoped that the creation of the market could be a baby step toward addressing these issues. Floyd said she hoped the market could serve “as a space where, even though it’s for just one day, 30 student artists can gain some recognition for their work from all over the WashU campus, and make a little bit
of money too.” Sarah Moon, a mixed media artist and Sam Fox graduate student, appreciated the opportunity to showcase and sell her collection of vintage clothing at the market. “This is my first stab at vintage clothing selling, but I kind of have a dream of one day having my own vintage clothing store,” she said. Senior Maddy Singleton enjoyed visiting the market with several friends. She purchased multiple items and expressed her gratitude for the charitable giving of several vendors. One art print she bought was sold by a vendor donating proceeds to a correctional facility reform organization. For Drew Mahlmeister and a few friends, the Art Mart provided a valuable
opportunity to promote their new brand, Save the Fish United (S.T.F.U). Proceeds generated from the brand’s Art Mart merchandise sales will be donated to the Zachary Porter Foundation, which honors the life of WashU student Zach Porter, who tragically passed away in the summer of 2023. The foundation aims to provide
underprivileged youth with financial access to “enrichment opportunities,” such as music lessons or field trips. With the success of the first Art Mart, Floyd expressed a desire to host the market again and expand it, creating additional opportunities to celebrate the work of even more artists on campus.
LAKSHMI MULGUND | STUDENT LIFE Students admire art for sale at the first-ever Art Mart on Mudd Field.
“the rest”: a review of the newest boygenius EP OLIVIA LEE CONTRIBUTING WRITER The supergroup boygenius — composed of Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus — released its debut album “the record” on March 31, 2023. Full of masterfully written and introspective hits, the indierock album garnered much praise from critics and reached number four on the Billboard 200 chart. Six months later, on Oct.
13, 2023, the group released a four-song EP titled “the rest.” As the name implies, this EP is “the rest” of their debut album, the final additions to this project. The name of the EP is also timely, as the release comes at the end of the group’s tour this month. With this EP, the group is closing the door on one project and paving the way for a new one. Thematically, the EP revolves around life and death — the life and death
of relationships, and the life and death of human beings. All three musicians have strong songwriting abilities, resulting in a story-centric album that, much like a complex piece of poetry, can be difficult to fully grasp. The EP opens with “Black Hole,” a callback to “Not Strong Enough” — the sixth song on “the record,” which begins with the lyrics “Black hole opened in the kitchen.” But this time, instead of the doomsday picture that
was painted in “Not Strong Enough,” where the black hole represents the destructive nature of the narrator, this new black hole is creating stars, a reference to a recently discovered phenomenon where a mysterious black hole is leaving a trail of new stars in its path. Julien Baker sings, “You can see the stars, the ones / The headlines said this morning / Were bein’ spat out by what we thought / Was just destroyin’ everything for good.” This song is a look into blessings in disguise, while also exploring the forces in life that are unable to be controlled. Dacus and Bridgers sing, “It’s out of your hands, but have a safe flight.” The second song “Afraid of Heights” is a standout on the EP. The song is centered
around a relationship of Dacus’, where the other person was more prone to taking risks than she was. Lyrically, the third verse is where the song truly shines. “I never rode a motorcycle / I’ve never smoked a cigarette / I wanna live a vibrant life / But I wanna die a boring death,” Dacus sings, followed by “Not everybody gets the chance to live / A life that isn’t dangerous.” This song is a testament to a safe life: one where extreme risks are not necessary, where there is hope for the privilege of dying a peaceful death. The penultimate song “Voyager” details Bridgers’ feelings over the death of a relationship. Referencing the Voyager 1 spacecraft and the 1990 photograph of Earth famously called the
“Pale Blue Dot,” the song returns to previous themes of space travel that Bridgers has explored. In the song “Me & My Dog,” featured on the band’s first self-titled EP, Bridgers croons, “I wish I was on a spaceship / Just me and my dog and an impossible view.” This time, however, Bridgers has landed on Earth. “Walkin’ alone in the city / Makes me feel like a man on the moon / Every small step I took was so easy,” she laments. Now that this relationship is over, there is a weight (gravity) lifted off of Bridgers’ shoulders. But Bridgers still feels isolated and agitated over this relationship. She continues, singing, “But I never imagined a dot quite as pale or as blue / You took it from me, but I would’ve given it to you.”
Essential Fall Music WILLIAM WEINSTEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER What qualifies as “fall” music? Is it an acoustic guitar behind crisp, raw vocals? Is it the comforting warmth you feel against the bitter cold? To many, fall music feels nostalgic yet introspective. While summer embodies a time to let go of your worries and enjoy the warmth and sunny skies, fall is a time of cyclical reflection and an eventual rebirth. Fall songs are accompanied by a depth of storytelling that showcases this type of reflection — bonus points for any song that includes references to the fall season. Typically in these songs, the accompaniment sits in the background, acting more as an aid to the storytelling; this is rather than the beat or synth acting as the main character and the vocals residing in the background, a pattern typical of summer songs. One must experience “fall” music to understand these key traits. Here are my top three fall albums and songs for 2023, varied in sound and content, and sure to get you in the fall mood.
“Stick Season” by Noah Kahan
You’ve probably heard of Noah Kahan at this
point. He’s receiving rightfully deserved and somewhat surprising popularity, given that we live in a time where a fivesecond TikTok pop sound boosts a song to No. 1 on the charts. I first heard of him last year when a friend sent me “Stick Season,” a song that showcases Kahan’s adept songwriting ability as he weaves together the plot of a harsh New England winter and a heartbroken ex. The album, which bears the same name as the hit song, is an extension of these qualities. The dichotomy of his soft-spoken yet piercing voice helps convey his lyrics and message in a way that keeps the listener drawn to his music. In every song, an acoustic or electric guitar follows his voice, making you feel like you are in the recording booth with him. Perhaps the album to listen to this season, you can’t go wrong with any of the tracks on “Stick Season.” Best Songs: “Northern Attitude,” “Halloween,” “New Perspective” “Give Me A Minute” by Lizzy McAlpine Another artist who exudes fall energy is Lizzy McAlpine. Her music, at its best, is quintessential fall music, checking off every attribute on the list.
Her most fall-sounding album is her debut, “Give Me A Minute.” The lyric that encapsulates the album’s compliment to the season is in the song “Where Do I Go?” where she sings, “I’m a breeze on a fall day.” The album delivers the kind of deep thought and storytelling one would expect from an acoustic album, but McAlpine delivers it through a unique alternative, bedroom-pop style. Her voice is gentle, and combined with outtakes and seemingly unedited vocals, she gives the record a homespun feel. “To the Mountains” and “Apple Pie” encapsulate the album, conveying the feeling of solitude and connectedness to oneself. Start with these songs, and let the album give you the chills — or maybe you’ll already have chills because it’s fall in St. Louis. Best Songs: “To the Mountains,” “Same Boat,” “Apple Pie”
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SPORTS
THURSDAY, OCT 19, 2023
WashU retires the late Super Bowl champion Shelby Jordan’s jersey HUSSEIN AMURI MANAGING SPORTS EDITOR
Washington University athletics has only retired a former player’s jersey number once. That was when the university retired the number “42” worn by former football quarterback Wilson Rutherford “Bud” Schwenk Jr. Shelby Jordan will be the second person in Bears history to be given this honor. When you are the only Washington University football player to ever win a Super Bowl, it’s only right. “The day he got drafted was one of the happiest days of his life, I can tell you that,” said Tim Bennett, Washington University Class ‘75. Bennett was one of Shelby Jordan’s teammates. “He knew that he wanted to be a professional football player. Later on, once he did make pro, he told me he had two goals. He said, ‘I want to win a Super Bowl and I want to be All-Pro.’” On Saturday, Oct. 14, Washington University retired Shelby Jordan’s jersey number at a halftime ceremony during the Bears’ third home football game. Jordan — who passed away last year on Sept. 9 — played 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He wore the number 78. “This is about the
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HUSSEIN AMURI | MANAGING SPORTS EDITOR | SPORTS@STUDLIFE.COM
totality of his career. It’s not just him as an athlete but the positive impact he had on people,” Director of Athletics Anthony Azama wrote in a statement to Student Life regarding this decision. “He left an impact not only where he grew up, but also in St. Louis and beyond. He was one of those rare, exceptional people.” Jordan, a St. Louis native, graduated from East St. Louis High School in 1969. That fall, he began his football career at Washington University, where he played from 1969 to 1972. He was drafted in 1973 by the Houston Texans, before ending up playing offensive tackle with the New England Patriots and Oakland Raiders before settling in Southern California. “He was 6-foot-7 at the time and he played as a middle linebacker,” Bennett said. “I just always teased him like, ‘Hey, man, all you got to do is fall left to right side. You’re gonna tackle somebody, you know?” After retiring from the NFL, Jordan started a nonprofit economic development corporation in Los Angeles that aimed to provide affordable urban housing for families and seniors in the area. According to Bennett, the plan to retire Jordan’s jersey has been in the works since last year.
SEE JORDAN, PAGE 6
Football falls to Augustana 17-35, ends undefeated streak
LEWIS RAND STAFF WRITER Less than three minutes into the first quarter, graduate quarterback Matt Rush fumbled leading to an Augustana College (5-1, Vikings) touchdown, and setting the tone for the rest of the game. The loss marks the first loss of the season for Washington University Football. They now sit 5-1 overall and 4-1 in conference play. After the early turnover, the next four quarters showed a slowmoving offense and defense that struggled against the Vikings’ early strength. “It’s kind of all across the board: we weren’t playing our best football, and you turn the ball over three times, give up a special teams touchdown… It’s gonna be hard to beat a team like Augustana,” Head Coach Aaron Keen said. Following the Vikings’ first touchdown, the Bears sought to equalize, but faced with 4th down, they had to settle with a field goal by freshman kicker Ross Muchnick. The Vikings responded with three unanswered touchdowns and an interception, widening the gap to 3-28. With less than 20 seconds remaining in the second quarter, and facing having to start the third quarter 25 points back, Rush was able to connect with senior Gabriel Sirek for a 22 yard reception and a Bears touchdown. Muchnick’s successful PAT attempt
BRI NITSBERG | STUDENT LIFE
Sophomore Joseph Norris breaks up a pass bound for the endzone late in the 2nd quarter.
brought the score to 10-28. With a strong drive to end the half and the Bears receiving the ball at the start of the third quarter things were starting to look up. Following an unsuccessful initial drive, the Bears offense regained possession and were able to move down field into the red zone. Three plays later, and the Bears were looking at another fourth down and a field goal attempt. However, a conversion by freshman quarterback Levi Moore found its way to the endzone and another successful PAT by Muchnick brought the deficit to only 11 points. Despite this successful drive, the Bears’ woes continued, as a sack forced the Bears to punt from their own two-yard line. The punt found its way into the hands of the Vikings Bobby Inserra,
who returned the punt for a Vikings touchdown. A successful PAT by the Vikings brought the score to 17-35, where it would sit until the final horn sounded. After a Vikings turnover on downs late in the fourth quarter the Bears had one last chance to put a scoring drive together. However, a pass to the end zone would be intercepted for a touchback ending the Bears hopes of a victory. Turnovers proved a problematic point for the Bears throughout the game, contributing to their first loss of the season. “They did a better job of generating those turnovers, or we did a poor job of turning the ball over. You know, either way you look at it, those are things that we have to get corrected. You cannot turn the ball over against good teams and expect to win. And we
have several good teams coming up on our schedule,” Keen said. The game celebrated the retirement of the #78 worn by Bears legend Shelby Jordan, who passed away last year. Next week, the Bears take to the road to face North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, who is currently ranked #1 in NCAA DIII Football. Learning from this week’s loss and correcting the issues from this week’s loss will be crucial for the Bears as they face their toughest competition yet. “We’ve got to get over the bitter disappointment of losing this game and prepare the right way so that we come out and give our best on Saturday. It’s an extremely large challenge that we have in front of us this week,” Keen said.
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Crossword by Alex Nickel
ACROSS 1 4.0 is a great one 4 Uptight, modest person 6 Like San Francisco's terrain 7 Basic skateboarding trick 8 Where you may find a pre-med student
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Homeward Bound
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“Homeward Bound” Answer Key Crossword by Alex Nickel
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HUSSEIN AMURI | MANAGING SPORTS EDITOR | SPORTS@STUDLIFE.COM
JORDAN continued from page 5 at least two or three times. We weren’t successful until the executive vice chancellor went to an alumni event and met one of my colleagues, Joe Madison. The executive vice chancellor made this happen for us.” Bennett and his colleagues wanted to involve Jordan’s family throughout the process. His wife and sons Dan Zillas and Shelby Jr., worked in tandem with his teammates to plan the event. As one of Jordan’s teammates, Bennett was especially impacted by the jersey retirement since knew Jordan experienced many racial microaggressions while playing college football in the 1970s, yet still found success. “Race was a factor [in how we experienced WashU football],” he said. “It wasn’t always overtly put in your face. There was the presumption of equality. Maybe the real equality wasn’t there, but people were polite. You might even hear a teammate say some off-color stuff to another teammate who didn’t know you were standing there. So it was something to be conscious of, something that was an impediment. But it is something you just had to step over and not let it bother you.” At the height of the early-1970s Civil Rights Movement, Bennett and many other AfricanAmerican students found community in forming the Association of Black Students. At the time, WashU was one of few schools actively trying to diversify its student body. “The camaraderie relationship among all African-Americans on campus, Black-Americans, was strong,” he said. “We had a Black Student Union that met in the dormitories every Sunday. But back then WashU was making an effort to diversify…because back then there was no diversity. The Washington University was at the forefront of trying to have a diverse campus, to bring together all kinds of students from different countries, different places, and different races.” Bennett hopes that Jordan’s jersey retirement inspires future generations of WashU athletes and students of color to chase their dreams. “Being an AfricanAmerican, Shelby Jordan… [came]…from humble beginnings from the East side of
the river in East St. Louis,” he said. “It’s a real big deal to have reached your goals and take yourself to where you want to be or where you dream to be. I would like to say that…I hope his story… inspires younger African American and any student of color to go after [their dreams] just like Shelby.” Jordan’s jersey retirement wasn’t the only ceremonial action Bennett and his teammates pursued. They also had conversations with the university about naming the recently opened state-of-the-art WashU sports performance center in Jordan’s name. However, according to Bennett, the university asked for between $750,000 and $1,000,000 in naming rights. “One of the reasons for thinking of naming the sports facility was that it would be an attraction,” Bennett said. “It would be a way to maybe recruit more people of color to say, ‘Hey, look at what this man done in this small school.’ I think it is more benefit for the university to do something like that on its own. In its diversity issue, in its diversity efforts.” “When we consider the naming of a space at WashU, there are a number of factors taken into consideration,” Azama wrote to Student Life, explaining how the university reached the $750,000-1,000,000 range. “Including the prominence of the space, the foot traffic it receives, and the naming cost for spaces with comparable square footage and usage around campus. The same considerations are taken for any space or building on any part of the campus, including athletics facilities.” Regardless of the outcome of the push to rename the sports performance center, friends and family still came together to honor a man who was bigger than the game of football to WashU and St. Louis. “I thought it was appropriate to retire Jordan’s jersey,” Bennett said. “Washington University was founded in 1853 and has [only retired a player jersey once]. And then that player happens to be a Black player. I thought that was significant. I wanted everyone in the city to know that. I wanted everyone in this area to know that. Shelby was a giant of a man, not just in terms of his physique and stature, but he was humble. He was there when you needed him as a friend.”
THURSDAY, OCT 19, 2023
#2 women’s soccer breaks through late fighting #20 NYU for third-straight conference win RACHEL GWON RILEY HERRON CONTRIBUTING REPORTER SPORTS EDITOR In the 80th minute of their first away conference contest, the Washington University women’s soccer team found itself in an unfamiliar position: it wasn’t winning. With the clock winding down, the New York University (NYU) Violets had the Bears on the brink of dropping points for the first time all season. As the game entered the last 10 minutes tied 0-0, WashU was forced to defend attack after attack with its perfect start to the season on the line. When asked about the mentality of the team going into the game, sophomore Grace Ehlert said, “ We went into the game prepared as a team and knew our roles positionally, and we played our style.” Fortunately for the Bears, senior goalkeeper Sidney
Conner and the squad’s veteran backline were up to the test. Despite facing a seasonhigh 19 shots throughout the game, Conner made eight saves, keeping WashU in the contest as the clock wound down. In the 85th minute, the Bears finally found their breakthrough. Following a big stop from Conner, the Bears demonstrated their counter-attacking abilities. After a pass from sophomore Ella Koleno was misplayed by an NYU defender, Ehlert stole it, dribbled into the box, and found herself one-on-one with the NYU goalkeeper. Under pressure, Ehlert sent the ball into the back of the net for her fifth goal of the season, placing her second among the Bears’ top scorers. The Bears would hold onto the win, bringing them to 12-0-0 on the season and moving them up in the NCAA Division III rankings from #3 to #2. The
Bears have still not conceded a goal and remain the NCAA’s sole clean sheet. WashU is now just seven games away from the collegiate soccer record of 19 consecutive shutouts, which was set by St. Joseph’s College of Maine’s men’s soccer team in 2017. With the victory, WashU handed the Violets their second loss of the season in a closely fought game, dropping them to 1-1 in University Athletic Association (UAA) conference play and bringing the Bears to 3-0. In the highly competitive game, NYU outshot the Bears with 19 shots — eight of which were ontarget — while WashU only had seven shots throughout the game, targeting the goal four times, its lowest so far this season. The majority of the game was a tense stalemate, with both teams displaying formidable defensive capabilities. It was a true battle of wills, with neither side willing to
concede a goal easily. With Ehlert’s goal, the Bears broke the deadlock in the 85th minute, and they held on for the last five minutes for their 12th victory of the season. When asked how the team performed overall, Ehlert said, “NYU was a great team, and our team did a great job executing our game and playing griddy all over the field for the whole 90 minutes. It was a great battle against another great UAA opponent.” The Bears will now embark on a challenging stretch of two away conference games against Top 10 teams. First, they will take on #3 Carnegie Mellon University, before facing #6 Case Western Reserve University, the defending UAA champions. After narrowly passing the test at NYU, the Bears will need to take their play to another level next week as they continue their push for a UAA championship.
CLARA RICHARDS | STUDENT LIFE
Junior Gaelen Clayton blows past a defender in a recent game against Fontbonne; Clayton has two goals and two assists on the season. After 12 games, women’s soccer continues to be the only program in the nation not to give up a goal this season.
Men’s soccer suffers third straight loss to start UAA season ELAHEH KHAZI CONTRIBUTING WRITER
LYDIA NICHOLSON | STUDENT LIFE
Junior Landon Green fights for a ball in a recent game against Fontbonne; Green has one goal on the season.
This past weekend, the Washington University men’s soccer team (4-6-1) went head-to-head with the New York University Violets (4-5-3) in their third game of the University Athletic Association (UAA) tournament. The game took place in New York, and as spectators filed into the Frederick Douglass Field, they were buzzing with excitement, eager to watch the UAA game. As the teams came onto the turf to kick off the game, they were ready to battle each other for the win. The Bears started off strong in the first half of the match. They managed to generate many attempts to score, with 10 first-half shots. However, the Violets fought back, ensuring their defense was rock- solid and impenetrable. Offensively, WashU senior Owen Culver threatened the Violets’ defense with six shots on- goal in the game, a match high. Additionally, senior
John Daniels managed to attempt three shots throughout the game, but the Bears struggled to find the back of the goal. “[We need to figure] out how to turn some of these performances into results and focus on the details. We feel like we have played well in a lot of these games, but ultimately, the game is decided by only a few key moments, and we just have to find a way to start getting these moments to go our way,” Culver said after the match. During the first half, the Violets had a strong offensive prowess. Thanks to the Bears’ defense, they did not manage to score. Freshman goalie Owen Ross continued to demonstrate his defensive skills, making a career-high seven saves while defending WashU’s goal. Despite the Bears’ strong offensive and defensive fronts, the Violets’ efforts were of equal caliber, and the first half ended with both teams tied at 0-0. Once halftime came to an end, both teams returned for
the second half of the match, ready to break the tie. Twelve minutes into the second half, the Violets succeeded in scoring the match’s first goal. The Bears tried to take back control of the ball, but it was to no avail as they missed shot after shot. The Violets managed to score two more goals within the next 30 minutes, giving them a 3-0 lead. Nevertheless, the Bears continued to fight back, outshooting the Violets by 10-8 in the second half. However, their efforts were ineffective, as they could not find the back of the goal. In the 85th minute of the game, with the Violets leading 3-0, freshman Quentin Gomez scored his first collegiate goal off of a helpful assist from junior Landon Green, changing the score to 3-1. However, the Bears weren’t able to mount a successful comeback. The game ended with a final score of 3-1, handing the Bears their third loss to start the UAA season. WashU has not started conference play 0-3 since 2014.
In spite of the challenging game and loss, the WashU men’s soccer team continues to work for its goal of excelling in the UAA tournament. “We get better every week. We are not getting the results to match our performance, [but] I am proud of this team. They have no quit in them,” head coach Joe Clarke said. Culver shared similar sentiments, saying, “Obviously, it’s upsetting. We knew how important the game was, and we had a lot of good periods in the game. But we couldn’t capitalize on them, and unfortunately, it didn’t go our way. I’m proud of the boys and the way we finished, fighting to the end.” The WashU Bears are set to play at Carnegie Mellon University on Friday, Oct. 20 before traveling to take on Case Western Reserve University on Sunday. Their upcoming matches will be their fourth and fifth matches of the UAA contest, and the Bears hope to bounce back and log their first conference win.
THURSDAY, OCT 19, 2023
FORUM REILLY BRADY | MANAGING SPORTS EDITOR | SPORTS@STUDLIFE.COM
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Exposing the veil: Confronting racism & anti-Blackness in the political science graduate program CASSANDRA CUSTIS FORMER GRAD STUDENT, POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT My high school experience was largely defined by solidifying my desire to address how racism, white supremacy, and anti-Blackness are upheld and carried out by the state and institutions. During my freshman year of high school, on Feb. 26, Trayvon Martin was murdered, and the summer before my senior year, on Aug. 9, Michael Brown was murdered. At that time, I was deciding where to apply for undergrad, and I discovered Washington University in St. Louis. I was immediately captivated. Little did I know that I would have to be the one to end my own dream. Nine years later, I would be submitting a withdrawal form to put an abrupt and unceremonious stop to my long-awaited academic journey because of, as I wrote in the withdrawal form, “racism in the political science department I experienced, that went without being adequately addressed.” Before my reason for withdrawal was officially processed, I found myself erased from WashU’s history. My academic profile was already removed from the department website, with my struggles still unanswered by WashU’s political science faculty to this day. As a high-school senior, I was excited by the possibility of joining a prestigious school in a region with a complex racial history and at the center of a movement that
I was deeply involved and personally invested in. I applied to WashU and did not expect to get in, especially because my SAT scores were low for the school, so when I found out that I had been accepted, I was beyond thrilled. But then reality set in. My parents told me that they didn’t think it was best for me to attend a school that looked the way it did in an area with obvious racial tension. They were worried I wouldn’t be in an environment that affirmatively supported my Blackness. So I didn’t go to WashU for undergrad. I never forgot that disappointment. Fast forward to 2020 — in the midst of protesting, organizing, and working a full-time job, I realized that grad school is truly where I wanted to be, so I applied to WashU for a second time, seeking to join the political science graduate program. Again, I was wary that I would not be accepted because of my background, especially as it relates to a lack of methodological training relative to many of the other students showcased in the program. When I found out I was accepted, I was with my favorite person: my grandfather. We were ecstatic. We celebrated my almost unbelievable accomplishment by opening the last bottle of his homemade wine. Throughout my time at WashU, I have remained committed to why I came here. In my statement of purpose submitted with my application to the program, I wrote, “My interest in political science
is personal; as a Black woman in America I have always been motivated to garner a better understanding of Black Americans’ political behavior and efforts to address racial inequality.” In line with this, I’ve chosen to be a part of research that prioritizes the St. Louis community and connects to my broader interests in racial inequality. I’ve made genuine connections with local community members who have, frankly, told me that they wish they had met me before I came to WashU — because they would’ve told me not to come, for my own sake. This is the reputation of the Washington University Political Science Department, as well as the broader University, and sadly, the racism and anti-Blackness of this department marred my graduate experience. The disconnect between myself and my department became most apparent, ironically, when I needed the most support. I contracted mononucleosis at the beginning of the spring semester in 2022, a month after I had gotten COVID-19. Dealing with the symptoms of this illness, which included debilitating fatigue, necessitated that I advocate for myself to receive accommodations that would allow me to be a successful student. During my recovery, it became evident that this department is a place where Black women who advocate for themselves cause the ultimate discomfort. Because in advocating for myself, it disrupts the facade of objectivity and
neutrality the department presents. In reality, this facade serves as a way to maintain an exclusionary status quo. Basic requests for accommodations when dealing with my illness, such as completing readings without taking highly structured notes and receiving extensions on completion of some work, were met with swift responses like, “You must not understand the importance of the readings,” and a suggestion that I withdraw from a course — and the insinuation that I was simply being lazy. It’s hard to interpret the behavior of these professors as constructive as opposed to inequitable when considering the pervasive stereotypes surrounding Black people and laziness in the workplace and at school. Interactions such as these left me wondering, would white graduate students receive the same treatment? Like many Black people in academia, I continued to experience various microaggressions. Despite what the name suggests, these slights and comments, especially when experienced on a regular basis, have a significant effect on one’s mental health and overall wellbeing. When I confided in a professor about my struggles relating to this issue, they took it as an opportunity to give me some “real talk.” Instead of offering support or solutions, this professor proceeded to say several delegitimizing statements, including: other minority students have been successful in the department
in the past; even if I leave, I’ll experience racist microaggressions everywhere I go; and if I am waiting to see if the department will change, I am essentially wasting my time. A practice of complicity pushed and the acknowledgement of these issues without actionable steps provided to remedy them was deeply disturbing to me — so much so that I left the conversation in tears. In short, when I have highlighted the racism I’ve experienced, the department has continued to respond callously and f latout refused to acknowledge the issues at stake, in a way that was shameful and spineless. Even another graduate student’s request to address these issues was raised to the department chair and went unanswered. Frankly, my experience has led me to the conclusion that the majority of the faculty and leadership in the Washington University Political Science Department is the embodiment of individuals who Martin Luther King Jr. warned us about in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” The political science department consists of a “white moderate who is more devoted to order than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice.” This is why I had to leave the program — because, as King also says in this letter, “[l] ukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.” I did not want to be in a place where my presence, work,
and values are merely tolerated on a good day. I know who I am. I know I don’t want the boundaries of my work or my classroom to be rigid. Rather, I want the bounds of my research and my teaching to be permeable and adaptable in a way that allows my work to move freely between academic settings and community, in a way that is deeply personal, yet rigorous. I refuse to accept that these two dynamics are antithetical. When I teach, I want my classroom to be a space that encourages students to think beyond the walls of the room we’re in and to make connections between their work and not just their own lives, but the lives of others that they would otherwise never have exposure to. I believe this is how we impact meaningful change for those who belong to marginalized communities. Not by coming into their spaces and “saving” them, but rather by making our space in academia, and their space out in the world, one. Because truly, the only thing that separates us is walls, structures, and institutions that either actively or passively support our divisions. I have shown I know who I am, but the Washington University Political Science Department is having an identity crisis. The disconnect between their words and actions at this time is an insurmountable chasm, and I refuse to let myself fall in because they are unwilling to close the gap.
The case for a better gameday JARED ADELMAN MANAGING MULTIMEDIA
In the past couple of weeks, I’ve seen a slew of WashU students posting at football games and tailgates on social media. Sometimes faces are painted, and often there is a sea of people all adorning the same colors. Yet these pictures are not taken outside Francis Field, but rather at the University of Michigan or Notre Dame. The problems with social media curation aside, these posts are indicative of a larger desire among WashU Students to have a better gameday culture. Anecdotally, I’ve heard from sports fanatics and casual fans alike that going all out to support a college team is a fun experience. Similarly, athletes on this campus put in hours of work and effort only to see meager turnouts at games. So, fellow Bears, what is preventing us from building a robust gameday culture for our scholar-champions? While certainly easier said than done, below I present the case for why and how WashU could improve fan culture. First, our teams are very good. We have won 24 national championships, and teams are routinely competing for conference and national titles. In other words, playoff games
aren’t few and far between. Currently, football sits at 5-1, and women’s soccer has not conceded a goal in over two months. Team performance is not a valid reason to pass on attending a game. However, I can already sense the X trolls responding, “But you’re division three,” followed by some unnecessary expletives. Yes, ESPN’s College Gameday isn’t visiting tomorrow, and we simply don’t have the amount of people to fill a 100,000seat stadium, but we shouldn’t be comparing ourselves to Division 1 teams; we should be measuring against ourselves. I, and likely many others, want a stronger sense of school spirit. If even 1,000 undergraduate students — 1/7 of our total population — showed up at Francis Field, that would be complete pandemonium. We don’t need to be an AP Top 25 school to have a strong sports culture. We need to tap into the resources that already exist. This is certainly easier said than done. For one, important campus partners would need to hop on board. Campus Life, Student Union (SU), WUPD, and perhaps most importantly, WashU Athletics, all have the power to bolster or weaken the ability to tailgate and cheer. While past efforts from
SU to draw bigger crowds are admirable, free Chickfil-A alone isn’t enough to make a difference. Closing off the Simon Lot for tailgates, permitting clubs and social organizations to host related functions, and free Chick-fil-A sounds like a more attractive offer. I’m not blind to the liability and costs associated with making this change. I just think the tradeoff is worth it. Realistically, this process would be a gradual one. It would start with one football game a year and slowly expand from there. I imagine this operating similarly to how the Harvard vs Yale game does. While we lack an equivalent historical rival, we are quick to call ourselves the Harvard of the Midwest. And in Bleacher Report’s Top 25 Tailgating Schools, Harvard’s game against Yale propels them into the top 10. Becoming a school with a strong gameday isn’t solely in the student's best interest either. I’m sure WashU Athletics and the administration at large would love to see an increase in attendance and enthusiasm. Not only would it marginally increase revenue, but it would help dispel the notion that WashU lacks school spirit. Again, any potential costs are far eclipsed by the relative
benefits. So where do we go from here? First, SU should take the lead in working with campus partners to explore what a more robust tailgating and gameday experience would look like. This would also mean bringing in a wide range of student groups in the process, including, but not limited to, Greek Life and The Bomb Squad. Second, the administration will need to be measured in
their role; ensuring safety is a top priority, but overzealous demands could easily crush any momentum from students. Third, using the student groups mentioned above, SU would need to lead a strong marketing campaign that advertises the revamped approach to students. Lastly, let the attendees make the event over time. Cheers and traditions are created organically, not by any top-down authority.
Everyone should continue to visit their friends across the country and experience what a Division 1 gameday is like. But those visits should not be mutually exclusive from building our own gameday culture. In the same way that WILD and Mardi Gras have the necessary buy-in from students, so can one major game a year. May next year’s Instagram pictures be colored with silver and red!
8 STUDENT LIFE
THURSDAY, OCT 19, 2023
REILLY BRADY | MANAGING SPORTS EDITOR | SPORTS@STUDLIFE.COM
Caption this! Enter this week’s contest
10/16 WINNERS First place When it was 50° out this morning and it’s 80° when you walk out of class Kaylia Humphrey, Current WashU Student
Scan the QR code to enter your submission by 11:59 pm on Monday.
Second place The process of convincing yourself that $8 boba will cure all the work you have Justin Strugger, Current WashU Student
ILLUSTRATION BY JAIME HEBEL
Third place Spooky season (climate change edition) Shelby Edison, Current WashU Student
ILLUSTRATION BY JAIME HEBEL
STAFF EDITORIAL
Five things to ask yourself before reposting or repeating Much of the current campus political discussion and news consumption takes place on social media. The fact that everyone can share their own viewpoint (or agree to an existing one) with whomever they want is a marvel of modern technology. It also creates a breeding ground for misinformation and harmful personal attacks, contributing to students feeling unsafe on our campus. So, in light of the recent Israel-Hamas war, the Student Life Editorial Board suggests various ways to navigate what can be a confusing and potentially damaging social-media landscape.
Where did this information come from?
The simplest way to avoid fake news is by checking who posted it.
Everyone should be wary of reading and posting anonymous information. An anonymous post, like those on Sidechat (which is currently f looded with misinformation), signals to viewers that the information is most likely not something the user would share with their name attached to it, making it much more likely to be untrue and damaging. While we may not be able to track every Instagram infographic back to its source, it is at least worthwhile to ensure that it is coming from somewhere other than the writer’s imagination.
Is this information accurate?
Misinformative posts are often riddled with skewed numbers, false equivalencies, and correlation being mistaken for
OUR VOICE: EDITORIAL BOARD Staff editorials reflect the opinion of a majority of editorial board members. The editorial board operates independently of our newsroom and includes members of the junior and senior staff.
causation. By checking sources and learning to spot fallacies, we can avoid being manipulated by blatantly wrong data. Even reputable news sources can get things wrong, so check if a story gets updated or corrected.
Does this information incite personal attacks or violence?
Voicing your opinion is one thing, but inciting violence or targeting specific people is another. It is never okay to encourage attacks on individuals or groups. Not only is it highly offensive, but it is also poor argumentation. Attacking the person and not the argument is often a sign that the opposition has run out of substantive arguments. Instead, we should focus on using our voices to make positive change, not to inspire
Managing Forum Editor: Reilly Brady Senior Forum Editor: Sylvie Richards Junior Forum Editor: Amelia Raden Managing chief of copy: Ved Patel Chief of Copy: Cathay Poulsen Editor-in-Chief: Clara Richards
aggression. Comments that target or harass students based on identity directly contribute to students feeling unsafe on this campus. We should strive for a safe environment for our peers.
Am I willing to engage in dialogue regarding this issue outside of social media?
If you repost something to your Instagram story or mention a statistic you saw on TikTok, you should be prepared for someone to disagree with you, both online and in person. Consider if what you are repeating is something you’d want to stand behind in a conversation.
Why am I repeating or reposting this?
In today’s age, social media is a powerful tool that can have positive impacts, spreading
information quickly and keeping people up-to-date on current events. However, while it is an effective place for outreach, it is not a reliable place to go to as one’s sole source of research and information. There are many reasons why we might make our opinions known on social media. Spreading awareness is incredibly important, and showing your own personal support for a cause that you care strongly about is perfectly reasonable. However, if you are posting in hopes of engaging in hostile debate, attacking others, or feigning interest in a topic that you, overall, remain uneducated on, we encourage you to reconsider and ref lect upon your potential role in the spread of misinformation. In general, we should seek sources other than
Instagram, X, TikTok, and Sidechat (alongside other social media sites designed for anonymity) for information. Additionally, we stress the importance of critical engagement with any sources, both within and outside of social media. What might a source be motivated by? How might those motivations shape what information a source chooses to share, or not share? Awareness of misinformation involves not only fact-checking of information, but also examination of the sources themselves. The opportunity to share our beliefs and causes that we support on the internet is a privilege, and we have a responsibility to stop the spread of misinformation and fake news to the best of our ability, especially as it relates to the lives of real people.
YOUR VOICE: We welcome letters to the editor and opinion submissions (or op-eds) from our readers. Submissions may be sent to forum@studlife.com and must include the writer’s name and email for verification. We reserve the right to print
any submission as a letter or opinion submission. Any submission chosen for publication does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Student Life, nor does publication mean Student Life supports said submission.
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